Jiekhrund, one of the Six-Star Generals, is our enemy. We fought him to the death.
But in the end, I erased his identity and gave him a new one as Hilde. Instead of the 'she' who had brought Hilde to the Military State, I took up the role of the observer of her existence. Thanks to this, we successfully repelled the Six-Star General Jiekhrund.

However, it seems things looked a bit different to someone as ordinary as Siahti.

“Why did you let him live?”
“Let him live? That’s a funny way to put it. He’s the one who spared us. He was on par with Historia, and she had a gun—how were we supposed to kill him?”
“Lies! You were manipulating him freely. You could have killed him!”
“Sure, I did influence Hilde quite a bit, but just because I say ‘die’ doesn’t mean he will. I’m practically a parent to this identity—telling your child to die doesn’t mean they’ll commit suicide.”
“Could you have killed him or not? Say it plainly!”

Well, phrased that way, there’s not much I can say.

You can’t really override the survival instinct. I can’t just order someone to die. I could have, of course, induced his death in other ways. I have Tyr, and I have the Regressor. I could have orchestrated an elaborate scheme to weaken him, then had him killed through another means. But I didn’t.

“Why did you just let him go? He killed Carrafald! He’s tortured and interrogated countless others. He’s the backbone of this Military State, one of the closest to its core!”
“Well, perhaps.”
“But you acted so nonchalant, even saying goodbye as if nothing happened! What does friendship mean to you? Have you already forgotten what happened in Hameln?”
“No, I remember it perfectly.”

That incident left a strong impact on me as well.

“Then why?!”

Siahti shouted, her face twisted in anger.

“You say you fulfill wishes?! Aren’t you supposed to be avenging us, including yourself?! Then why would you let the one who killed Carrafald go free? Do you even want to get revenge on the Military State?”
“Of course. And no one is getting revenge on the Military State more thoroughly than I am.”
“You? The one who just let our enemy walk away? You know what my wish is, don’t you?”

Oh, I know. Siahti, your wish is to destroy the Military State.
I don’t put my blind trust in prophetic information, but according to the Regressor’s memories, the country established by the Resistance ends up a cesspool anyway. It’s no surprise. You’re not looking to build a country—you just want to dismantle the Military State.

And then there’s the princess beside you, who would rather the Military State be preserved. Ah, reading other people’s minds can be quite the chore.

I spoke up.

“Siahti, do you know what’s needed first and foremost to get revenge on the Military State?”

Siahti replied immediately.

“Resolve.”
“Wrong.”
“Then what? Are you going to say strength? That’s obvious! But strength means nothing without resolve—!”
“Nope, not strength either. To get revenge on the Military State, the first thing you need… is the Military State itself.”

It was a simple, almost self-evident truth. To get revenge on the Military State, you need the Military State. Without a target for revenge, there’s no revenge to be had.
Siahti was left momentarily speechless. I continued.

“But you don’t have the Military State yet. You don’t know what it really is. How can you destroy something you don’t even understand?”

Siahti, regaining her anger, responded in a low voice.

“What do you mean I don’t know? We’re standing right in the heart of the Military State!”
“So what? Is this refinery your target? Would it satisfy you to break it down and return it to the earth, piece by piece?”

I picked up a broken piece of steel as I spoke. Grade 2, alchemic steel for furniture. Heavy but affordable, and solid enough to be a popular choice. I tossed it lightly in my hand.

“The output from this refinery flows throughout the Military State. Whether it’s furniture for civilians or weapons used by soldiers to kill, all of it is processed from the materials produced here. So, are all who use Military State’s alchemic steel guilty?”

“Enough. Are you trying to tell me revenge is meaningless?”
“Not at all. I’m trying to help you get your revenge.”

The Military State’s structure is simple and easy to understand. But certain aspects are meticulously hidden, even from outsiders and the Six-Star Generals themselves.
However, from reading Hilde’s thoughts, I caught one thing. ‘She’—the person who either created or led to the formation of this Military State.

The question is, can I find ‘her’?

Only time will tell. I’m not a prophet.
Which means I have to try.

“I’m going to see the Military State for what it truly is. If you want, you can come along. I’ll show you this country. After that, you’ll be able to exact your revenge in the truest sense. Just as you wish.”

We exchanged a long, silent look. Siahti’s gaze was filled with the anger of a victim still searching for something to hate. She had been pouring her resentment onto Historia, but now she’d found a far worse bystander: me, who has no guilt whatsoever. Out of nowhere, Siahti asked:

“One thing. Be honest.”
“I’m always honest. What is it?”
“Did you know that Nicholas was planning to kill us?”

Ah, that. Of course.

Hmm. Though if I nod here, things could get tense, right? So…

“Yes. I knew.”

“I see.”

Siahti muttered, then fell silent for a moment as she looked at me. Then, without warning, she lunged.
Historia, having sensed the rising tension, was shocked to see Siahti actually make a move.

“Siahti, stop—!”

But I had read her thoughts. I knew she was about to use dark magic, and I knew her target was my arm.
As she reached out with her prosthetic, she grasped her left index finger and snapped it upward without a moment’s hesitation. Her metal arm, like a nutcracker, easily broke her real fingers.

Crunch. Dark magic swirled around my finger. But my arm wasn’t twisted.
Because…

“Ow, damn. That hurt like hell.”
“Huey! Your finger!”

My arm wasn’t twisted because I had snapped my own finger first.

Dark magic forces one to follow the same actions. But Siahti only has one arm. The fingers of a one-armed person can’t be identical to those of a two-armed person.
Using that logic, Siahti gave her own finger more meaning, enabling her to break larger and longer objects like arms and barrels.

But the essence of dark magic is to replicate. I preempted her dark magic by breaking my own finger first, fooling the spell into thinking it had already happened.
The pain brought tears to my eyes. Damn it, I just broke my finger to keep my arm from breaking.

I readjusted my red, swollen joint and grumbled.

“Dark magic users are all crazy. How can you break your own finger without hesitation? Almost didn’t make it in time.”
“You monster. You’re even using dark magic?”
“A monster? My dark magic is weak—barely stronger than a punch. What’s monstrous about that?”

If I’d mastered ki, I wouldn’t have to go through this. When you’re not strong, you have to rely on all sorts of tricks. What a pain.
Wait a minute. Siahti, are you planning another round?

“Save your last bullet, Siahti. The scariest bullet is the one that hasn’t been fired. Once you shoot your last shot, you’ll have nothing left, and no rights to claim.”
“Don’t make me laugh! You, who stood by and did nothing, have no right to say anything to me!”

She seethed as she raised her other hand. But this time, more eyes were watching.

Historia quickly jumped in and caught her hand. Frustrated, Siahti shot a resentful look at her.

“Historia, don’t stop me. He’s the one who caused all this.”
“Calm down. You’re too worked up.”
“Worked up? You call this worked up? Can’t you see this is all wrong?!”

Siahti pointed at me with her broken, bloodstained finger, trembling with pain but still filled with anger.

“He’s never afraid. Never sad. Even when we were stranded in Hameln or when he learned Carrafald was dead, he let the Six-Star General go without any hesitation. And that’s supposed to be normal?!”

But Historia still didn’t let go of her finger. She held it tighter, as if to prevent another break. Siahti cried out like a stubborn child.

“Protect him all you want, Historia. It won’t mean anything. He feels nothing for you. He’ll never repay you for it!”

Words gain their power from their speaker, and Siahti’s statement was piercing enough to strike Historia’s heart deeply. But ironically, Siahti was the one wielding those words.

“Lack of repayment…”

During her time as a Six-Star General, it wasn’t me who paid attention to her—it was Siahti. Historia had often felt tormented watching Siahti’s persistent alienation.
So in terms of unrequited feelings, Siahti might have had it worse.

“You’re the same way, Siahti.”

Lacking an arm but still clinging to some morals, Siahti fell silent. Historia, with a calm expression, pushed her back. Finally, Siahti turned away.
But it was only because of Historia that she held back. She still harbored deep resentment toward me.

Hmm. I have to admit, she has potential. She’s willing to snap any arm in her way, be it mine or a Six-Star General’s.

That’s the spirit.

“As a consolation gift, I’ll make you an offer. Follow me, and I’ll show you the Military State.”

I looked around at the group. The princess, Siahti, Historia, and even the two beasts. A solid team, though I have my doubts about their strength.
If Tyr or the Regressor catches wind of this, they might complicate things.

Tyr and the Regressor, despite getting along on most fronts, have conflicting opinions on one topic.
After all, it’d be a shame if I handed them the Military State only to have it vanish.

Good. That settles it. We’ll move forward with this.

“Everyone, I’m heading to the command center now. There’s no guarantee of safety, and I won’t force anyone to come. However, if we succeed, I’ll hand over the Military State. It might just be the target of revenge you’ve been searching for.”

Siahti’s desire for revenge requires understanding what the Military State truly is. At the end of this journey, it will reveal itself.

“Or it could become an ideal nation with a warm heart under a cold, iron-fisted rule.”

The princess flinched. Caught between the kingdom and the Military State, the princess could find a solution here.

“Or perhaps it will become a place to stay for someone’s sake.”

Historia didn’t react. Well, she had once built a place within the Six-Star General structure. It was just that Siahti and I had no interest in joining her there.

“I won’t force anyone. Those who want to come with me, step forward.”

Everyone here has a reason to follow. They’ve all made up their minds. And the first one to approach…

As usual, it was Aji, sneaking up with a soft bark.

“Woof!”
“I told you, Aji, I’m a human.”